Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC review: gothic roguelike nostalgia

dead cellsDevelopment studio Motion Twin has never been shy about leaning into its Castlevania-inspired roots in roguelites, and it’s all about finding new exploratory abilities from 2D side-scrolling medieval levels. to the Metroidvania-style search system, dead cells I owe a lot to games like Castlevania: Symphony of the NightTherefore, if the team handed over the Castlevania license to Konami, dead cells.

This is a big step for Motion Twin, who have only teamed up with other indies so far. costume collaborationBlending into an established major franchise like Castlevania is another step altogether. And thankfully the studio pulls it off on track.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania is the game’s fourth paid DLC, and at $10, it’s also the most expensive of the bunch. But for Castlevania fans, a glorious treasure trove of fan service hides.

alike dead cells‘past DLC packs, Return to Castlevania It adds new paths to the game, taking you beyond the outskirts of Dracula’s castle, over well-worn drawbridges, and into the depths of despair that lies within. It basically consists of two new “biomes” inspired by the castle’s outer walls and inner sanctuary.Like other biomes in dead cellsthese new areas have random level generation, so each time you pass through them will be slightly different. You can find many familiar sights such as various nods.

The newly added visuals perfectly recreate the atmosphere of Akumajo Dracula. dead cells Choose a pixel style that is more crunchy than the source material.Still, familiar landmarks such as symphony of the nightThe odd floating geometry that marks the savepoint is immediately recognizable.Help Sell Illusions is a new soundtrack dead cells Consisting of Castlevania historical classics that you can play wherever you are game, Not just new biomes.

Several new boss fights, including Dracula himself, make these areas full of tension and laughter.For example, before Dracula’s battle, he might randomly appear and overturn an entire castle (with another hilarious nod symphony of the night).Such touches are in perfect harmony dead cellsThe tone of the game playing as a decapitated character has always been surprisingly silly and has never been taken too seriously.

Image: Motion Twin, Evil Empire via Polygon

have been enjoying dead cells I’m excited so far since it first launched Return to CastlevaniaIt’s one of the most polished and well-executed pieces of post-launch content for the game.Castlevania fans have plenty to swoon too, with tons of series references and unlockable costumes to discover and explore dead cells As mainstays like Alucard, Richter and Death itself.All we can hope for is that this will lay the groundwork for Motion Twin to pair with other long-dormant franchises for similarly passionate projects. bubble bobble X dead cells Mashups are just begging to be made.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Released March 6 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. This game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code provided by Motion Twin. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.